IDG Contributor Network: What do we mean when we say 'business-IT alignment'?

In prior columns I've written about the challenge of business-IT alignment.  However there are many that believe the work "alignment" should be replaced with the work "convergence." What does convergence mean? According to Webster’s definition, convergence is “the act of converging and especially moving toward union or uniformity.”  When you use the word alignment, it  implies that there are two separate entities trying to work together but still remaining separa